master6 wrote:I notice you have not got time to.......would that include marshalling?

I did a marshalling stint as that was a part of being a member of STCC -- if I didn't turn up for that then I would be letting people down. But that meant taking time out of other activities. I can't justify that for racing myself.

Dogga you gotta be careful mate, any time you jab an ants nest you've got expect the ICBMs to start flying. E-wars make forums fun... No offense intended to master6 et al and I would love to race if only I had the time... If I get some spare time over the Christmas break I'd like to come out for the Wednesday Richmond Bakery ride once (that one's a race, isn't it?)

Assumption is the mother of all Fck ups. I assumed that the dropping of the V meant it was now an open club, I was wrong. Can't join for another 3 years. : (

I'll check out the Wheelers, join up there, and race the purple shaded races on the Vets calendar - sorted.

Your assumption is understandable dogga. For a change I am going to be polite, sincere, and even helpful.Lets look at this thing positively.When we look at the STCC race calendar for the second half of 2011, we find 13 days "open to all riders". Days restricted to masters licence holders are 12.If you are interested in competing outside southern Tasmania you will find a number of events in the north, listed on the Cycling Tasmania site. This will give some more opportunities for you, however some will clash with STCC "open" events I expect, so it is not as good as "add all STCC opens to all CT events.As STCC racing concludes in early December, it is probably reasonable to add at least 3 CT events to the STCC 13 and say that there are 16 opportunities to race in 24 weeks(five and a half months).

If we were in a formal debate, and I was on the side of people in your position, I would argue that most people find various weekends when they have other obligations, and therefore it is unlikely that the 16 events I suggest are open to you, will in fact fit in with your life. You have already arrived at the "purple shaded races" solution.What else could you do:-One option might be to gather a group of likeminded elite grade licence holders, and ask the STCC to run a separate event for you on "non open" days. An advantage for STCC might be an offer by such a group to provide some marshalls from time to time.Another option might be for the same like minded group to join Hobart wheelers (you need a licence anyway) and persuade them to run some road racing.

As a keen cyclist with family commitments on a single wage (mostly), I find that $220 for a Masters 3 licence a tad excessive.I understand there are certain costs that need to be covered, of course.It's no wonder cycling is branded elitist.Does this take care of insurance, or is that an extra cost - which I haven't done yet

This won't stop me riding in whatever "challenges" are open to me though

Giant Pete wrote:As a keen cyclist with family commitments on a single wage (mostly), I find that $220 for a Masters 3 licence a tad excessive.I understand there are certain costs that need to be covered, of course.It's no wonder cycling is branded elitist.Does this take care of insurance, or is that an extra cost - which I haven't done yet

This won't stop me riding in whatever "challenges" are open to me though

Is it $220? I have yet to renew my CA licence, however I believe the fee for masters 3 to 7 is $150.

I have been involved in Water Skiing and Kart Racing, and find cycling to be cheap by comparison. Entry fees for race events in Tasmania are bargain basement.Have you looked at the cost of the various "challenges", or "fun rides" as I call them. I think that you would get a lot more "event" activity via a CA licence and race entry fees, than you would get via "fun rides" for a given annual cost.

As an example close to home, look at the Mt Wellington Challenge.It was a cycle club event, and the entry was $20. Last year it was taken away from the cycling clubs, and the entry fee went to $40.

While you agonise over cycling costs, have a look at the Dome Coffee rides from Sandy Bay, and the Wednesday morning Richmond Bakery rides. Best value for money in cycling. Free

I appreciate your concern; it is always difficult spending a limited family budget on one member of the family. My wife is constantly amased by the parcels delivered to our home best wishes ,Jeff

Who is online

About the Australian Cycling Forums

The largest cycling discussion forum in Australia for all things bike; from new riders to seasoned bike nuts, the Australian Cycling Forums are a welcoming community where you can ask questions and talk about the type of bikes and cycling topics you like.